Florida Has a Lot to Celebrate During Manufacturing Month
October is National Manufacturing Month and Florida is the best place to celebrate it. The Sunshine State ranks 10th in manufacturing in the United States and for the last 10 years has been ranked No. 1 in manufacturing job growth. Nationally, manufacturing is the fifth largest employer and in 2024 manufacturing companies generated $7 trillion in total revenue. Closer to home, nearly 50,000 people in St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia and Brevard counties work for manufacturers large and small.
Anchored by the surge in aerospace and defense manufacturing in Brevard County, the region has become a hotbed for building in the state, and that growth is expected to continue as more launches are scheduled at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Brevard County has the 5th most concentrated high-tech workforce in the U.S., according to the TechAmerica Foundation, and is among the Top 3 metropolitan areas in the United States for concentration of electrical engineers and technicians, ranking first in Florida for the number of patents (11) for every 10,000 workers.
In Volusia County, more than 470 manufacturing businesses produce a diverse range of products from athletic attire, boats, medical devices, electronics, mechanical components, food, beverages and more. Florida is also home to a growing list of employers in the distribution and logistics industry.
While the aerospace and defense industries lead the way, the region boasts a growing number of small- and medium-sized firms building a wide variety of products and contributing to the economic health of communities from St. Augustine to Palm Bay.
America has long been a leader in manufacturing and with the explosion of digital technology and artificial intelligence, we are entering a new industrial revolution. Colleges and universities across the region and around the country have embraced the idea of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – as a foundation of education, providing students with the skills required to compete and succeed in the digital age.
While smokestack industries were once the hallmark of an advanced industrial society, today’s advanced manufacturing is focused on high-tech processes and a technically skilled workforce. Those efforts provide a solid economic foundation for the Sunshine State as well as the First Coast and the Space Coast.
As we enter the traditional holiday season, the significance of manufacturing and its economic impact should not get lost in the rush of trick-or-treating, turkey dinners and jingle bells.
